The 1960s saw the United States achieve new technological feats, including the Apollo 8 mission’s orbit of the moon and the inaugural flight of the Boeing 747. Yet, the year 1968 was also marked by significant turmoil within the nation and abroad.
1. The USS Pueblo Incident
On January 23rd, 1968, the U.S. Navy surveillance ship, USS Pueblo, was operating in the Tsushima Strait. The Navy asserted that the ship was in international waters, while North Korea claimed a territorial violation. North Korean forces intercepted the Pueblo, killing one U.S. crewman and capturing the remaining 82.
The surviving crew was imprisoned in North Korea and allegedly subjected to harsh conditions. They were later forced to participate in a staged news conference. After lengthy negotiations, the crew was released on December 23rd, 1968. As part of the negotiations, the U.S. made a concession regarding the ship’s activities, but retracted it after the crew’s return. The USS Pueblo remains in North Korean possession.
2. January 30th: The Launch of the Tet Offensive
On January 30th, 1968, North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces launched a coordinated assault known as the Tet Offensive. The attack targeted 36 major cities and towns across South Vietnam, occurring during the Vietnamese Lunar New Year (Tet), a period typically marked by a truce.
The Offensive involved 85,000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong soldiers, taking South Vietnamese and U.S. forces off guard. News of the attacks reached the American public, whose confidence in the government’s handling of the Vietnam War was already declining.
Heavy casualties occurred on both sides. The U.S. and South Vietnamese forces eventually regained control of the occupied locations. While both sides declared victory, the Tet Offensive demonstrated that the North Vietnamese forces were more capable than the Johnson Administration had suggested.
The Tet Offensive marked a turning point. It tested not only the U.S. military, but also the American public’s tolerance for involvement in the conflict. Support for the war subsequently decreased, contributing to the anti-war protests that occurred throughout 1968 and subsequent years.
April 4: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Assassinated
Dr. King was immediately rendered unconscious. Despite being rushed to the hospital, he was pronounced dead at 7:05 PM. News of the assassination sparked widespread riots in over 100 US cities.
Following his extradition to the US, Ray pleaded guilty, likely to avoid a potential death sentence. He was sentenced to 99 years in prison. Shortly afterward, however, Ray retracted his confession, claiming innocence until his death. The FBI conducted an investigation after Ray’s death, but no conclusive evidence emerged to warrant reopening the case.
3. April 23: Columbia University Students Occupy Campus Buildings
On April 23rd, approximately a thousand students from Columbia University and Barnard College initiated a protest on Columbia’s campus. The demonstration’s reach ultimately led to a university-wide shutdown for the remainder of the academic year.
The student protest was directed at two specific issues: opposition to the Vietnam War and the university’s plans to construct a gymnasium in Morningside Park. This park was public land primarily used by the Black residents of Harlem. The Vietnam War component resonated strongly with students concerned for the well-being of soldiers close in age to themselves.
For almost a week, students occupied five buildings situated on the Columbia campus. University officials responded by summoning the NYPD, who forcibly removed the protestors, arresting and injuring many in the process.
Despite the forceful ending of the occupation, Columbia students continued to boycott classes, leading to the university’s closure for the rest of the school year. The events sparked a global wave of student activism, with major demonstrations taking place in Mexico City, Paris, Italy, West Germany, and other locations.
In Paris, a particularly intense confrontation between students and police became known as “Bloody Monday” due to the high number of injuries. When workers joined the protests en masse, President Charles de Gaulle took drastic measures, dissolving the National Assembly and hinting at potential military intervention to end the unrest.
The Columbia occupation marked the beginning of a period in which student-led movements gained significant momentum. It became a time when young people, in America and throughout the world, actively fought for their own rights and the rights of others.
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June 5th: The Assassination at the Ambassador Hotel
Later that day, Kennedy delivered a victory speech at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Security personnel then escorted him through the hotel kitchen as a shortcut. While in the kitchen, Sirhan Sirhan, a 25-year-old Palestinian man, shot Kennedy three times. Five other individuals were also wounded in the shooting. Kennedy was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital, where he was pronounced dead approximately 25 hours later.
Sirhan was immediately arrested. Following a highly publicized trial, he was convicted of murder in 1969 and initially sentenced to death. However, the sentence was later commuted to life in prison. He remains incarcerated in California.
The assassination of Robert F. Kennedy led to changes in how presidential candidates are protected by the Secret Service.
September 30th, 1968: Boeing’s 747 “Jumbo Jet” Debuts
The rapid expansion of air travel during the 1960s prompted aircraft manufacturers like Boeing to develop larger planes capable of transporting more passengers. In response, Boeing designed the 747 “Jumbo Jet”.
Officially unveiled in September 1968, the Boeing 747 became the world’s largest commercial plane. With a passenger capacity of 374, it dwarfed other aircraft, standing six stories tall and weighing approximately 300 tons.
The 747’s introduction had a significant impact on air travel. Over 50 years later, the 747 remains a popular and widely used commercial aircraft.
October 16: An Olympic Medal Ceremony with a Protest
At the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos won gold and bronze medals in the 200-meter race. During the medal ceremony, as “The Star-Spangled Banner” played, both Smith and Carlos lowered their heads and raised a black-gloved fist in the air.
Smith, Carlos, and silver medalist Peter Norman of Australia all wore badges representing the Olympic Project for Human Rights, an organization advocating against racial discrimination in sports. Smith and Carlos were barefoot, wearing only black socks.
Following the ceremony, they were met with boos and ultimately removed from the US Olympic team. The athletes’ actions and the subsequent consequences marked a significant moment where sports and political protest intersected.
December 24, 1968: Apollo 8 Enters Lunar Orbit
On Christmas Eve, 1968, the Apollo 8 mission made history. Astronauts Bill Anders, Frank Borman, and Bill Lovell became the first humans to orbit the moon. During their ten orbits, the Apollo 8 crew transmitted live television images of the lunar surface and captured the now-iconic “Earthrise” photograph. This mission was the first time humans had ventured beyond Earth’s immediate orbit.
The Apollo 8 mission occurred within the context of the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. This milestone was a significant step toward NASA’s goal of achieving a lunar landing by the end of the decade, a goal established by President John F. Kennedy. The Apollo 8 mission paved the way for the Apollo 11 lunar landing just seven months later.
